Maek pottee



(No Model.)

M. POTTER.

GAR STARTER. No. 320,088. Patented June 16, 1885.

FIG 3 il'nirnn STATES PATENT @rrrce.

MARK POTTER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No.320,088, dated June 16,1885.

Application filed March 9, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK POTTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Starters, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for giving a forward movement to a caras an auxiliary to and concurrently with the pull of the draft animal instarting, such devices being com monly termed car-starters.

The invention consists in a weighted lever or dog connected with thedraw-bar and act ing on a forward movement of said bar upon a fixedmember (such as a drum or ratchet) of the axle to rotate such axle andits affixed wheels to aid in starting the car, to thus overcome orassistin overcoming inertia,and thereby lightening the draft at thestart, the weighting of the lever effecting the automatic return of thelever when the car stops to be ready for action in assisting the nextstart, all as I will now proceed to specify and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like partsare similarly designated, Figure 1 is a vertical section taken in aplane between the observer and the center of the car, of sufficient of acar equipped with my starter to illustrate it. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the lever and drum, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of amodification.

a is a part of the car-body; b b, the axles; c c, the wheels fixedthereon, and e is a drawbar supported in guide-blocks or hangers ff 9,attached to the bottom of the car and extending to the rear axle. Thisdraw-bar has a longitudinal movement in its guides, and as an auxiliaryfor operation by hand I provide a lever, h, fulcrumed in the frontplatform of the car and connected by a link, i, to said drawbar, so thatthe driver may assist the draftanimal in starting the car and also havecontrol of the starter.

On the rear axle is fixed a drum, k, Figs. 1 and 2, or ratchet k, Fig.3, and straddling this and loosely secured to the axle, so as to turnfreely thereon, is a lever composed of a weight, Z, and dogor pawl m orm, pivoted therein and (N0 model.)

having its active face eccentric with respect to the drum or ratchet, soas to engage the same for a given distance and then slip out of contacttherewith. The draw-bar and dog or pawl are connected by a link, a. InFigs. 1 and 2 contact is made between the dog and drum by friction ofparts, while in Fig. 3 the pawl positively engages the teeth of theratchet to rotate the axle as the draft is applied to the draw-bar. Theforward movement of the drawbar is arrested by the link a coming incontact with the guide 9, which latter thereby acts as a stop. When theforward pull on the drawbar is made, the dog or pawl engages the drum orratchet and turns the axle till the eccentricity of the dog or pawlcauses it to leave the drum or ratchet, and so permits the axle to runfree. When the ear stops, the weightl will return the pawl or dog to theposition shown, ready for a fresh start.

Instead of connecting the draw-bar to the dog or pawl, it may beattached to the weight, in which event the dog or pawl may terminatejust above its pivot.

My weight may consist of a segmental hollow casting having sides whichterminate in collars Z, which encircle the axle, and it may be appliedto the axle by placing the drum or ratchet in the hollow between itssides, and then aligning them and slipping them on the axle intoposition, after which the drum or ratchet is fixed to the axle by a keyor setscrcw, or otherwise.

The dog or pawl, when connected to the draw-bar, projects up through aslot in the weight, and is by said slot limited as to its movement.

WVhat I claim is-- 1. In a car-starter, a draw-bar, and a weight edlever, Z, connected to it so as to be drawn forward by it and returnautomatically, and carrying a dog or pawl to engage a fixed member onthe axle, to rotate said axle in the forward movementof the draw-bar,substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-starter, a draw-bar, and a weighted lever connected to it soas to be drawn forward by it and returned automatically, and carrying adog or pawl to engage a fixed member on the axle to rotate said axle inthe forward movement of the draw-bar, combined In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set with an auxiliary hand-operating mechanismmy hand this7 th day of March, A. D. 1885. for said draw-bar, substantially as setforth.

3. The weight Z, loose on the axle and pro- 7 MARK POTTER. 5 vided withthe dog m, a friction-drum interposed between said dog and the axle, andthe Witnesses: draft-bar connected in a right line by a link JUDsoN N.KNAPP, to said dog, substantially as described. F. R..SMITH.

